Bakery suppliers have teamed up to donate the ingredients and resources to produce 150 tonnes of biscuits for UK food charity Fareshare.
Biscuit manufacturer Elkes has partnered with British Sugar, Allied Mills, and Whitworths to create the Classic Digestive biscuits which will be distributed around FareShare’s nationwide network of more than 8,000 charities.
Boparan-owned Elkes will make the biscuits at its Uttoxeter factory as well as provide all the packaging and additional ingredients needed. The other partners will provide the sugar, biscuit flour, and wholemeal flour. Production started in November and the biscuits will be supplied until the end of the year.
The activity falls under the charity’s Alliance Food Sourcing Initiative, which is part of the Coronation Food Project. The project aims to target all forms of waste in the food supply chain and build on the industry’s existing initiatives to redistribute surplus food to charities.
According to the latest Food Foundation tracker, 14% of UK households – comprising 7.2 million adults and 2.7 million children – experienced food insecurity, meaning that during summer 2024, they could not afford food, skipped meals, or did not eat for a whole day. It is estimated this figure has doubled in the last three years.
“This is a great initiative and a true first for the FareShare Alliance Food Sourcing programme,” said Jonathan Russell, Elkes Biscuits managing director. “I would like to thank all partners that have made this happen and I hope it is the first of many such initiatives we’ll be part of in the future. It requires a big effort from our supply chain and it’s fantastic to see so much goodwill and support.”
Kris Gibbon-Walsh, FareShare CEO, added that they were “delighted to see so many brilliant partners coming together to support this initiative”.
“By working in collaboration across supply chains, Alliance Food Sourcing has huge potential to scale up food redistribution and reach more people in need,” Gibbon-Walsh added, noting that recipients include homelessness shelters, afterschool clubs, refuges, and older people’s lunch clubs.
“With the additional food resulting from Alliance Food Sourcing, these groups can bring people together through food, fostering connections and access essential support services. Working together, we can harness the power of surplus food to strengthen communities across the UK and help individuals and their communities thrive.”
Since its launch last year, the Coronation Food Project, inspired by His Majesty The King, has seen 940 tonnes of additional surplus food rescued, with 1,900 tonnes more donated; £715,000 has been circulated in community food grants; and £15m has been raised to officially open the first two Coronation Food Hubs in Merseyside and South London.
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